Catarina Peixoto Carvalho and Antonio Azevedo
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of glamour, scopophilia and self-sexualisation in luxury celebrity endorsement.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of glamour, scopophilia and self-sexualisation in luxury celebrity endorsement.
Design/methodology/approach
In step 1, an experimental study was conducted with 100 respondents assessing the response towards manipulated print ad stimuli operationalizing the influence (in general terms) of lay out, endorser’s beauty pattern, body language (cool, smile appeal, sex appeal and disruptive), gazing and landscape. In step 2, respondents evaluated their response towards five perfume print ads retrieved from real advertising campaigns with different brand personalities (DKNY, Moschino, Chanel, Gucci and Boss).
Findings
The ideal copy strategy is: a couple of brunette Caucasian endorsers; “close-up” photo; sexy body language; indirect smiling gaze; and urban landscape. Multiple regression models were built for each ad/brand (personality) in order to predict the willingness to pay for a bottle of perfume.
Research limitations/implications
The paper suggests a holistic theoretical framework describing the influence of celebrity characteristics, advertising copy strategy, social-cultural trends and brand variables in the advertising processing.
Practical implications
Advertising copywriters and brand managers must control the role of glamour and the self-consciousness of women seduction power in branding advertising.
Social implications
Glamour, scopophilia or self-sexualisation are three different concepts which have a lot of sociological implications because they influence the way as the society perceive the role of women as endorsers in advertising, but also in other life dimensions.
Originality/value
This paper fills a gap in the literature, since this paper make an innovative analysis of the influence of these recent post-modernist socio-cultural trends.
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Gustavo Alves de Melo, Maria Gabriela Mendonça Peixoto, Samuel Borges Barbosa, Maria Cristina Angélico Mendonça, Thiago Henrique Nogueira, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, Luiz Gonzaga de Castro Júnior, André Luiz Marques Serrano and Lucas Oliveira Gomes Ferreira
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of fuel flow processes in a network of eight gas stations, located in the mesoregion of Alto Paranaíba and Triângulo Mineiro.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of fuel flow processes in a network of eight gas stations, located in the mesoregion of Alto Paranaíba and Triângulo Mineiro.
Design/methodology/approach
Two multi-criteria decision support methods were applied, respectively, of a statistical and mathematical nature, namely, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The research method used was quantitative, with a brief complement of qualitative research, and descriptive in purpose, supported by the inductive method. The data collection stage took place with the support of interviews, with the application of a structured questionnaire, and non-probabilistic sampling, for convenience.
Findings
It was possible to verify that the gas station that stood out the most was station 2 (GS2), which achieved maximum efficiency, a fact that can be justified by the analysis resulting from the application of PCA, as for the product purchase variable (PP), the GS2 is the one that buys the most fuel, and is also the one with the largest storage capacity (C), and the highest volume of product sales (PS), which suggests signs of balance between supply and demand for this station, justifying its prominence.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the study were related to the DEA technique, which requires a number of variables/indicators three times smaller than the number of DMUs considered, and the difficulty in obtaining financial data on the DMUs analyzed. Considering the security and anonymity of the gas station network, it was not possible to use this data.
Practical implications
The performance assessment of fuel flow processes carried out in this study promotes the efficient use of available resources as well as identifying efficient DMUs that represent benchmarks for improving management processes and performance of inefficient DMUs.
Social implications
From a social perspective, this study promotes the improvement of the quality of flow processes and effective management of the fuel supply chain, ensuring the safe storage and transportation of fuels to customer supply. Performance management in this sector moves other sectors of the economy, since an efficient unit represents a balance between supply and demand, and consequently, boosts the regional economy, promoting economic growth of the population. Hiring qualified labor for this purpose also represents one of the implications of the study. From an environmental perspective, optimizing flow processes generates a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and encourages the formulation of public policies aimed at consolidating sustainable practices.
Originality/value
Performance management applied to the context of the fuel supply chain is a relevant topic that has been little explored in scientific research, with a low level of information detail. This study using the inductive method allows the generalization and replication of this management pattern in other organizations in the sector in order to increase the efficiency of the fuel distribution system, with the perspective of maximizing outputs and reducing input consumption. In this aspect, the study introduces possibilities for advancement in social and environmental perspectives based on the effective management of fuel logistics.
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Olga Maria Formigoni Carvalho Walter and Edson Pacheco Paladini
This paper aims to investigate Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the Brazilian context, seeking to identify its main characteristics and opportunities for future research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the Brazilian context, seeking to identify its main characteristics and opportunities for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on a literature review in the area of production engineering and operations management, where 104 relevant scientific publications were identified.
Findings
The results show that the most important critical success factor for integrating LSS in Brazil is top management support and commitment. LSS integration occurs predominantly in large industrial companies, being incipient in small and medium-sized enterprises. In general, there is no structured way of applying LSS. A standard framework for LSS is still lacking.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to a sample that only comprises Brazilian scientific studies.
Practical implications
Professionals and practitioners can understand the evolution of LSS through practical applications and the main LSS tools used in both the industrial and services sectors. It also points out the critical success factor for the implementation of LSS. The study highlights several roadmaps for LSS implementation adopted by large and modern Brazilian automotive industries based on a robust technological base. This study also contributes to expanding the evidence base of LSS application, both in Brazil and in other countries.
Originality/value
Some suggestions are proposed to clarify the structure and complexity of integrated implementation of LP and SS as well as expand the LSS application in small and medium-sized enterprises. This study is the first to discuss the current situation of LSS in Brazil and provide suggestions to expand LSS in the country. Comparisons of Brazilian LSS literature review with researches of others countries are also presented.
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Ruan Carlos dos Santos, Lidinei Éder Orso, Mônica Cristina Rovaris Machado and Antonia Márcia Rodrigues Sousa
This paper aims to contribute to research on corporate governance in regulated sectors, with emphasis in the field of activity of foreign investors through the ownership structure…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to research on corporate governance in regulated sectors, with emphasis in the field of activity of foreign investors through the ownership structure and legal system that regulates companies in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first moment, the investigation had a quantitative approach of relational nature. Based on the data about the valuation of actions, statistical methods were applied to a secondary database containing measurable information provided by the organizations that operate the Brazilian stock-market and documentary evidence provided by the companies. In the second moment, a qualitative approach was adopted, resorting on the use of semi-structured interviews with investors and agents of the sector.
Findings
The results lead to two paths: presenting the perspective that foreign investors play a key role in improving governance practices because foreign ownership mitigates agency problems, provides adequate follow-up and optimizes the use of corporate resources; and evidencing the existence of a mitigation of operational risks in the face of the various obligations imposed by the concession contract with the regulatory agency, without direct interference under the ownership structure of regulated companies.
Research limitations/implications
The literature portrays a distinct economic scenario in Brazil, where stock control is pulverized and mechanisms of corporate governance and scope of action of investors and regulated sectors are well-defined and implemented.
Practical implications
A great part of the studies from this field discusses the same object: the impact of the adoption of corporate governance mechanisms on selected efficiency indicators or on the value of the companies' actions. This investigation, on the other hand, targeted a differentiated approach so that its contribution would lie in the investigation under the influence of the regulation on the legal attributions and the performance of the investors how many conflicts between the other shareholder/regulatory body, as the control measures import by the regulatory agent the concessionaires of the Brazilian highways and transportation sector.
Social implications
The identification of the presence of foreign investors as a determinant for: better performance of companies in Brazilian regulated sector in terms of market valuation; better mitigation of requirements with the regulatory framework for the agencies that regulate the concession sector, targeting a reduction in the asymmetry of information and transparency among all stakeholders.
Originality/value
The fact that Brazil is an emerging country that lacks a rigid legal system and corruption-control measures in corporate environments and public sectors, stresses the importance of the application of the “Best Codes of Corporate Governance Practices” in the main developed countries. This also stresses the need for effective supervisory bodies that contribute to a better financial performance of companies, guaranteeing investors the legal system.
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Arine Schmidt, Thayla T. Sousa-Zomer, João M. Andrietta and Paulo A. Cauchick-Miguel
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Six Sigma implementation in the subsidiaries of General Electric (GE) located in Brazil and to explore the role of the quality culture…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Six Sigma implementation in the subsidiaries of General Electric (GE) located in Brazil and to explore the role of the quality culture of headquarters in overcoming common obstacles to Six Sigma implementation reported by other studies.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory survey was the basis for gathering data for this study. A structured questionnaire was developed covering issues related to Six Sigma implementation, such as experienced benefits, main outcomes, and metrics adopted by companies. Data from eight GE subsidiaries were qualitatively analyzed. The findings were discussed in the light of other studies conducted in Brazil as well as in other developing countries in the context of the role of existing quality culture in overcoming barriers to Six Sigma implementation.
Findings
The findings revealed that Six Sigma at GE subsidiaries achieved better results in comparison with the results obtained by other Brazilian companies reported in the literature. GE quality culture aspects such as top management commitment, high investment in training, recognition schemes, and development of a well-planned infrastructure were identified as valuable to overcome common barriers to Six Sigma implementation. Moreover, the findings showed a strong alignment with the goals and practices of GE headquarters, which is an evidence of the quality culture that exists in GE and that allows all GE businesses achieve benefits with Six Sigma.
Originality/value
Since limited empirical research has been conducted concerning Six Sigma implementation in developing countries, this paper aspires to contribute to Six Sigma body of knowledge by illustrating the practices of a world benchmark corporation.
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Abel Ribeiro de Jesus, Jiju Antony, Herman Augusto Lepikson and Adriano L. A. Peixoto
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical success factors (CSFs) that are regarded as the most important in Six Sigma programs in Brazil and to compare these rankings with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical success factors (CSFs) that are regarded as the most important in Six Sigma programs in Brazil and to compare these rankings with those in international literature.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of industrial companies was selected to complete a survey. In total, 104 questionnaires were obtained. The results were compared with a literature review consisting of 26 papers from 13 countries. In total, 70 CSFs were found in the papers, but 19 CSFs were analyzed and reduced to ten. A multivariate factor analysis further reduced this number to two underlying constructs.
Findings
The authors identified a CSFs common denominator/ranking based on the sample of international articles. The authors found that there are four CSFs that are more prevalent in Brazil and in the international papers studied and that there are no differences between the importance of CSFs in terms of hierarchical levels. Three gaps, five levers and two CSFs constructs were identified.
Social implications
This study may initiate cooperation between the studied companies and academia, thus possibly increasing these organization’ knowledge regarding Six Sigma.
Originality/value
The originality of this study is that the survey was conducted with companies in Brazil, a country where little information exists on Six Sigma programs. The authors also contributed a literature review on CSFs, a comparison based on most of the consulted papers and the use of a robust methodological strategy that was made possible by the sample size.
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Izabela Simon Rampasso, Sidney L.M. Mello, Rubens Walker, Victor G. Simão, Robson Araújo, Juliana Chagas, Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves Quelhas and Rosley Anholon
The objective of this study is to identify research gaps related to skills required for Industry 4.0, considering research in the context of Brazilian undergraduate courses. In…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to identify research gaps related to skills required for Industry 4.0, considering research in the context of Brazilian undergraduate courses. In this sense, the question of this study was established: What are the educational gaps related to skills required in Industry 4.0 context, considering considering research in the previously mentioned?
Design/methodology/approach
To answer this question, the ten top work-related skills required for professionals in Industry 4.0 published by the World Economic Forum were used to perform a systematic literature review. From this review, 100 articles were found in the searched databases. From them, 18 were within the research scope.
Findings
Through an analysis of their content, it was possible to verify that, from the 10 skills analyzed, only six were identified in the articles. That is, no research was found for: people management, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, there are undergraduate courses that are not considered in current researches and should be analyzed.
Originality/value
The gaps pointed out in this study are relevant to guide future analyzes of the Brazilian educational model and may provide insights for research in other countries.
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Francisco Elder Escossio de Barros, Ruan Carlos dos Santos, Lidinei Eder Orso and Antonia Márcia Rodrigues Sousa
From the agency theory’s point of view, this paper aims to analyze corporate governance mechanisms about the characteristics of the companies quoted in the segments Bovespa Mais…
Abstract
Purpose
From the agency theory’s point of view, this paper aims to analyze corporate governance mechanisms about the characteristics of the companies quoted in the segments Bovespa Mais and Bovespa Mais 2 and their influence on the creation of value in preparation for the opening of the initial public offering (IPO).
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was adopted to achieve the proposed objective using the panel data with fixed effects and secondary data collected on the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários website, using statistical software Stata® 13.0 for statistical tests. The population comprises non-financial companies belonging to the Bovespa Mais and Bovespa Mais Level 2 groups, as the survey sample took into account the period of adhesion of the companies, totaled in 15 companies, which cover the period from 2008 to 2019. The selected variables correspond to the ownership structure’s characteristics, then the board’s composition and the fiscal council as the body responsible for supervising the administrators’ acts.
Findings
The main results indicate that the number of independent members on the board of directors and the supervisory board’s participation positively influence market performance. However, it also reveals that the concentration of ownership brings fundraising for other companies’ acquisitions, risk reduction concerning information asymmetry between investing powers.
Research limitations/implications
The main results indicate that the number of independent members on the board of directors and the supervisory board’s participation positively influence market performance. Despite this, it also reveals that the concentration of ownership brings fundraising for other companies’ acquisitions, risk reduction concerning information asymmetry between investing powers.
Practical implications
This paper advances a comparative institutional perspective to explain capital market choice by firms making an IPO in a foreign market. This paper finds that internal governance characteristics (founder-chief executive officer, executive incentives and board independence) and external network characteristics (prestigious underwriters, degree of venture capitalist syndication and board interlocks) are significant predictors of foreign capital market choice by foreign IPO firms.
Social implications
While product market choices have been central to strategy formulation for firms in the past, financial markets’ integration makes capital markets an equally crucial strategic decision. This paper advances a comparative institutional perspective to explain capital market choice by firms making an IPO in a foreign market.
Originality/value
This situation generates value to shareholders and is perceived by the market and, ultimately, generates a direct relationship with the market performance of companies. While product market choices have been central to strategy formulation for firms in the past, financial markets’ integration makes capital markets an equally major strategic decision.